Page:Romance of the Three Kingdoms - tr. Brewitt-Taylor - Volume 1.djvu/385

 While Ts'ao Ts'ao was absent from the capital on his northern expedition, Liu P'ei went to Liu Piao and said to him, “Why do you not take this opportunity to march against the capital? An empire might follow from that.”

“I am well placed here," was the reply, “Why should I attempt other things?"

Yüan-tê said no more. Then the Prefect invited him into the private apartments to drink and while they were so engaged he suddenly began to sigh despondently.

“O brother, why do you sigh thus ?” asked Yüan-tê.

"I have a secret sorrow that is difficult to speak about," said Piao.

Yüan-tê was on the point of asking what it was when the Lady Ts'ai came and stood behind the screen, whereat Piao hung his head and became silent. Before long host and guest bade each other farewell and Liu P'ei went back to his own place.

That winter they heard that Ts'ao Ts'ao had returned from Liuch'êng and Liu P'ei sighed when he reflected that his friend had paid no heed to his advice.

Unexpectedly a messenger came from the principal city with a request that Liu P'ei would go thither to consult with the Prefect. So he started at oncewith the messenger. He was received very kindly, and when the salutations were over, the two men went into the private quarters at the rear to dine. Presently the host said, "Ts'ao has returned and he is stronger than ever. I am afraid he means to absorb this district. I am sorry I did not follow your advice for I have missed an opportunity.”

“In this period of disruption, with strife on every side, one cannot pretend that there will be no more opportunities. If you only take that what offers there will be nothing to regret."

“What you say, brother, is quite to the point,” replied Liu Piao.

They drank on for a time till presently Liu P'ei noticed that his host was weeping, and when he asked the cause of these tears, Piao replied, “It is that secret sorrow I spoke of to you before; I wished to tell you, but there was no opportunity that day."

“O brother, what difficulty have you, and can I assist you? I am entirely at your service."

“My wife, of the Ch'ên family, bore me a son Ch‘i, my eldest. He grew up virtuous but weakly and unfitted to succeed me in my office. Later I took a wife of the Ts'ai family, who bore me a son named Ts'ung, fairly intelligent. If I pass over the elder in favour of the younger there is the breach of the rule of primogeniture, and if I follow law and custom there are the intriguesof the mother's family and clan to be reckoned with. Further, the army is in the hollow of their hands. There will be trouble and I cannot decide what to do."